I have been working on a third trimester post for a while now, and every time I sit down I ended up getting distracted/sleepy/hungry and not finishing it. Now that I am stuck at home all day drinking water and peeing in my jug, I decided it would be an opportune time to finish it.
Not only am I excited about meeting Cora in the upcoming weeks, but I am also excited about getting my body back to normal. I did an entire post devoted to the symptoms I experienced in the first and second trimester, so I thought it would be fun to discuss the joys of the third trimester as well.
First of all, I feel the need to list the side effects for the eighth and ninth months that are listed in "What to Expect When You're Expecting". It makes pregnancy sound really miserable, so much that I actually laughed out loud when I read it.
"Strong/regular fetal activity, increased vaginal discharge, increased constipation, occasional headaches/faintness, nasal congestion/increased nosebleeds, ear stuffiness, sensitive gums, leg cramps, backache, pelvic achiness, swelling of hands, feet, ankles, and face, varicose veins of legs, hemorrhoids, itchy abdomen, protruding navel, stretch marks, shortness of breath, difficulty sleeping, increasing Braxton Hicks contractions, increasing clumsiness, enlarged breasts, leaking from the nipples, increasing absentmindedness, heartburn/indigestion/flatulence/bloating, headaches, frequent urination, increased difficulty getting around, extra fatigue, increase in appetite, impatience and restlessness, irritability and oversensitivity, excitement and anxiety."
I feel bad if there are actually pregnant people who do experience all of those symptoms, because that would suck. I have experienced some unpleasant symptoms, but nothing too bad.
Heartburn-
Well, really more like throatburn or acid reflux. It isn't in my chest, it is up in my throat. Any time I eat something that does not agree with me, or lay down, it is like someone lights a fire in the back of my throat. It doesn't matter what I eat, anything can cause it. Luckily, there are a few easy ways to cope. Tums at the bedside is a necessity. I take two before I go to bed and when heartburn wakes me up I pop some more. I've also found that milk is pretty helpful, so I try to keep the fridge stocked with some chocolate milk incase I need it. Sitting up helps too, but I have a really hard time sleeping propped up on pillows or up in a chair. Normally I will take a Tums, try to sit up for a little bit and then lay back down. Cutting down on the spicy foods is another obvious way to help, which sucks because I have been craving spicy foods. However, after an incident with some of Jordan's chili that led to an entire night of coughing and vomiting, I now try to avoid them around bedtime.
Stuffiness:
While nasal stuffiness might not sound bad, at this point it is my biggest complaint. Those of you that know me, know I have bad allergies. I normally get sinus infections a few times a year, especially when the seasons change. Pregnancy has taken my congestion to a whole new level. When you are pregnant your membranes swell up and it is normal to feel really congested and stopped up. So for someone who already has chronic sinus problems, this is a nightmare. I feel like I have a sinus infection that won't go away. The worst part about being congested is that it makes me really sleepy, so I struggle to have the productive days that I'd like to be having. Oh well, I guess I better enjoy peaceful sleep while I still can.
Swelling:
I never imagined the extent to which I could swell. I thought I had swelling before, that was child's play compared to what happens now. My feet and my ankles are basically unrecognizable at this point, especially after a day at work. My hands are also super chubby and clumsy. Feet and hands I was expecting, but the thing that really freaks me out is the swelling that happens in my face. Some days I wake up and my face looks like it belongs on the body of a 400 pound woman. My cheeks are all fat and puffy that I literally look like I am squinting. Then some days, I wake up and I look (relatively) normal. My doctor assures me that this can be expected as my body is hoarding extra fluid for delivery , but it is still weird to adjust to.
Generalized fatigue/achiness:
My energy levels have plummeted since the second trimester and are very unpredictable. Some days I have energy, other days I have a really hard time getting out of bed. It probably hasn't helped that I've been rotating shifts at work, so pulling myself from days to nights and nights to days has messed with my body even more. My ankles and my back have also been hurting, but it is nothing too bad and I was expecting that I would be kind of uncomfortable at this point in pregnancy.
And that's it, those are my main complaints, nothing too bad. There are also some perks to being this pregnant:
Fetal Activity: I can feel every move she makes. While this is sometimes a little painful because she is pretty strong, it is very reassuring to know that she is doing well. A lot of her movements now aren't really kicks or punches, but more of her readjusting herself or trying to change position, which results in my belly rolling or getting really pushed out for a minute while she gets comfortable. This is really cool because I can see her pushing out and if I reach down I can normally guess what body part I am feeling (I think it is her knees and legs most of the time).
Food: I can basically eat whatever I want. I used to feel bad about it, but now I have no shame. And the remarkable thing is that as soon as I stopped caring about my weight gain, I stopped gaining weight. This is likely because her major growth period is nearing an end, and I can't eat as much as I used to because there isn't as much room in my stomach. Anyways, eating is fun, so I definitely consider this a perk.
People are nicer. I don't know if it is because they feel sorry for me as they see me slowly waddling along or because babies just make everyone happy, but people are constantly saying nice things and smiling at me and it just makes me feel good inside.
Delivery: The more uncomfortable I get means that the closer I am to delivery day! And that my friends, is the biggest perk of all. The time when we get to meet baby Cora is finally getting near, after our experience yesterday it is finally sinking in that it really could be any day now.
Speaking of delivery, yesterday kicked both Jordan and I into gear on taking care of all our last minute baby tasks. I think after one more trip to Target, we will officially be ready. While I have spent the day getting my FMLA stuff straightened out at work, resting, and re-packing Cora and I's hospital bags (the ones I threw together yesterday were not my best pack job), Jordan has been a cleaning machine and has totally stolen all of my nesting thunder. If we do need to have baby Cora next week, we will not be caught unprepared.
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| 38 weeks pregnant. Cora is should be around 7lbs and 20 inches long. |
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| Last belly shots! |
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| Cora has some decisions to make when she gets older. |
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| Packing up Cora's bag for the hospital, I couldn't decide on one outfit so we will be taking a few. |
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| Burp cloths, wipes, lotion, giraffe, pacifiers, clothes, and diapers. Next time I go to the hospital I will be prepared! |
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| Scooby saw me packing things up and immediately got nervous, he does not like when mom and dad leave him. |
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| The nursery! Only thing we have left to do is to hang the curtains! |
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| Crib shot |
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| Inside of crib |
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| Closet |
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| We also decided that we needed to make sure Scooby was well taken care of before the baby gets here. He went to the vet this week, got a bath, and his teeth brushed. |
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| Jordan bathes and brushes Scooby's teeth on a weekly basis, I would say that Scooby does not like getting his teeth brushed but I think this look pretty much says it all. |
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| Someone who does not mind mom getting put on bedrest. |
So... I think we are ready! We are very excited and can't wait to meet Cora!
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